Stonewall Uprising – From mobs to marches

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Anyone who is a member or supporter of the LGBTQ+ community knows the name Stonewall. But the riots (or more appropriately, the uprisings) in New York were much more than that.

Over the years, raids, arrests, mob control, and other layers of pressure built up, culminating in an outburst of “We’ve had enough!” and ultimately the country’s first Pride parade. Let’s take a closer look at what happened in the city and at the Stonewall Inn, which made it a historic landmark.

Homosexuals are not welcome

In the 1960s and before, it was illegal to solicit or engage in any kind of same-sex relationship, so there were few safe places where the gay community could express themselves openly.

The New York State Liquor Authority went out of its way to make things even more difficult. They revoked the liquor license of any bar found to be serving gay (or even suspected gay) patrons. Next, they fined and closed the bar outright. All of this was done under the guise that even LGBT people gathering in the same place was considered “disorderly.”

This is so disgusting.

One small step forward

In 1966, a group of activists successfully overturned the law that prohibited gay people from drinking. But that didn’t stop the police from harassing them in bars – because holding hands, kissing, or any kind of contact was enough to get you beaten and arrested.

Thugs intervene

The Mafia already controlled the drink supply in bars across New York. But since there were no gay bars and there were plenty of patrons who wanted gay bars, they wasted no time. They bought the Stonewall Inn, renovated it as cheaply as possible, and declared it a “private liquor bar.” This meant that people had to bring their own drinks – but of course, that wasn’t the case. The Mafia controlled the drink supply and diluted it to an incredible degree.

But the customers didn’t care. There might be no running water, the cups weren’t clean, the toilets were probably clogged most of the time, and the wealthy customers were often bribed to hide their sexuality, but for them it was a safe place.^day With foresight, they can evade the law and corrupt policemen will inform them of any raids.

Admission was very cheap and anyone could attend. Drag queens were allowed in as many ways as they wanted, couples were allowed to dance with each other, and gay street kids were allowed to have fun for hours in a safe place.

June 28, 1969 – The police came

Just two days earlier, word had reached the Stonewall Inn of the impending raid.^dayno one told the mob that another wave was coming. This time, the patrons were present and no one expected their arrival.

The police came rushing in with search warrants. They were beating people up and dragging customers and employees out into the street and beating them. Female cops were dragging drag queens into bathrooms and pulling up their skirts to check their “real gender.”

But that’s when things started to change.

Normally, the crowd would disperse—fearing violence and arrests. But this time, the Greenwich Village community did not back down. They came out of their homes and approached—all watching the scene and ignoring police orders to leave. Those arrested who resisted were beaten even more severely.

A lesbian was hit on the head and pushed into a van. That’s when she shouted loudly, mobilizing the crowd.

It started with small objects like coins, rocks and trash. But soon they were using bottles, rocks and anything else heavy to inflict damage on the violent police. After a few minutes, hundreds of locals began to fight back, forcing the police to run back to the Stonewall Inn for protection.

IInteresting facts: Despite claims that Johnson “threw the first brick”, she insisted she did not come to the pub until after the rebellion had begun.

Police tried to set up a roadblock, but the crowd broke through it twice. Finally, the mob tried to burn it down. It wasn’t until the fire department arrived that the raging fire was put out and the police were taken to safety.

But this is just the beginning.

Protests and uprisings, not riots

Even though the police withdrew, the protests were not over. Crowds continued to gather over the next five days—sometimes in the thousands. Seeing so many people out in public, being themselves (in solidarity) was a profound spark that would start something amazing.

This wasn’t the beginning of the gay rights movement, but it was a fire that lit in the hearts of everyone who joined the movement…and it spread to those who didn’t.

“It was a unifying force in LGBT political activism, spawning numerous gay rights organizations, including the Gay Liberation Front, the Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD (formerly the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), and PFLAG (formerly Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbian and Gay People).”

Historical Website

First Pride Parade

One year later on June 28th^day In 1970, thousands of people walked from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park for Christopher Street Liberation Day, chanting “Say it loud, gays are proud.”

Are there any other facts about the Stonewall Uprising you’d like to share? Please share them in the comments!